Valley runner among top Alaskans in Boston Marathon

BOSTON, Mass. — A Willow man continues to be among the top Alaska runners in the Boston Marathon.

David Johnston posted a time of 3 hours, 20 minutes and 46 seconds Monday in the 116th running of the famous 26.2-mile race in Boston, Mass.

Johnston was the fourth runner from the 49th state to cross the finish line, and finished in 1,729th overall. Anchorage’s Tom Ritchie, a wrestling coach at South Anchorage High School, was the first Alaskan to finish, placing 68th with a time of 2:38:39. Anchorage’s Matias Saari, a veteran of local mountain races, finished 118th with a time of 2:44:29. Anchorage’s Alan Stoll finished 703rd with a mark of 3:05:11.

Heather Gaines of Soldotna was the first Alaskan woman to cross, finishing at 3:28:45.

Thirty-seven runners from Alaska completed the race.

This year marked Johnston’s seventh run in the Boston Marathon. Last year, Johnston posted a personal best, finishing with a time of 2:54:17.